Graduate Department of Psychology

College of Arts and Sciences

Website: https://psy.fsu.edu

Chair: Brad Schmidt; Associate Chair: Hardy; Professors: Compton, Cougle, Eckel, Ganley, Hajcak, Joiner, Kaschak, Keel, Kistner, Kofler, Lonigan, Maner, McNulty, Patrick, Plant, Rinaman, Schatschneider, Schmidt, Spector, Wagner, Wang; Associate Professors: Braithwaite, Gratton, Hammock, Meltzer, Meyer, Nee, Ribeiro, Wilber, Zhang; Assistant Professors: Buitron, Dewan, Harmon, Haughbrook, Hermiller, March, Martin, Nugiel, Olcaysoy Okten, Riddle, Varela; Teaching Faculty: Bonner, Hansen, Hardy, Kemper, Koehler, O. Johnson, Kline, Polick, Towne; Affiliated Faculty: Flynn, Phillips, Roehrig, Tenenbaum, Wetherby; Adjunct Instructors: O'Neal-Moffitt, Sullivan, Wells Harrison; Professors Emeriti: Bailey, Baumeister, Berkley, Brigham, Carbonell, Contreras, Hokanson, Hull, Hyson, F. Johnson, Kelley, Lang, Megargee, Miller, Rashotte, Smith, Stephan, Torgesen, Weaver

The primary goal of graduate study in psychology at Florida State University is to produce scholars with sufficient breadth and depth to permit independent and significant research. While the major emphasis is on the preparation for research, students are also given the necessary background for teaching and/or application of psychological science. Only students whose intentions are to achieve the doctoral degree during full-time study are accepted for the graduate programs in psychology.

Research opportunities are abundant in the Department of Psychology. Faculty members attract a high level of research grant support from federal and state agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Total grant expenditures on an annual basis currently approximates $7,500,000.

Information about the Department of Psychology, its graduate programs and faculty is available on our Website at https://psy.fsu.edu.

Facilities

The Psychology Department moved into its state-of-the-art building complex in August 2008. The complex consists of three connecting wings, each four stories tall, and a separate 220-seat auditorium. It features over forty research laboratories, wireless communication, a spacious courtyard, a clinical training and research clinic, a center for studies in reading, a neuroscience research center and state-of-the-art vivarium, and undergraduate and graduate student computer rooms, incorporating the entire department into a single home. Visit our website at https://psy.fsu.edu for more details.

The Department's technical staff and support facilities are some of the best in the country. The facilities are operated by experts in biomedical, electrical, and structural engineering; and computer hardware and software support; and include fully equipped computer, electronic, machine, and instrument design shops. Instruction in behavioral, physiological, and neuroanatomical techniques is provided both in formal coursework and in laboratory settings. A molecular neuroscience laboratory provides equipment and training for studies of gene cloning and gene expression, as well as techniques to measure levels of hormones and neurotransmitters.

The department administers an on-campus psychology clinic that offers outpatient assessment and therapy services to members of the Tallahassee community and surrounding areas. This facility provides excellent clinical and research training for clinical students, who render services under close supervision of clinical faculty.

Financial Aid

The Department of Psychology makes every effort to provide financial assistance, including stipends and tuition waivers, to graduate students in good standing in the department. Students who request financial assistance typically receive some kind of support throughout their graduate education. Sources of funding include the following: fellowships, teaching assistantships, research assistantships, departmental assistantships, minority program fellowships, and community agency placements.

Doctoral Programs

The Department of Psychology is organized into five specialized programs for graduate instruction that reflect the mainstream emphases in the field. The programs are in clinical psychology (the assessment, treatment, and study of the determinants of pathological behavior in children and adults with emphasis on biological, cognitive, and environmental factors), cognitive psychology (the study of how humans process complex information received by the senses), developmental psychology (the study of physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span), neuroscience (the study of the biological bases of behavior), and social psychology (the study of how humans think about, influence, and relate to one another).

Clinical Psychology

The PhD program in clinical psychology has been continuously accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1954 (APA Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, 1-800-374-2721). The clinical psychology program is focused on training clinical scientists for academic and research careers. Students interested primarily in clinical practice are not a good match for our program. Based on a clinical science model, the PhD program in Clinical Psychology promotes a scientifically based approach to understanding, assessing, and ameliorating cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and health problems and seeks to produce students who can contribute to and apply the relevant scientific knowledge. We provide concurrent, integrative training in clinical science and clinical service delivery so that our graduates are prepared not only to apply current knowledge, theories, and techniques, but are able and motivated to remain at the cutting edge of the field.

All students are expected to master the basics of psychology in general and of clinical psychology in particular. This is accomplished primarily through a curriculum of required courses taught by both clinical and non-clinical faculty. We consider students' exposure to our first-rate neuroscience, cognitive, developmental, and social psychology faculty, in addition to our clinical faculty, to be one of our program's strengths. Although there are no formal “tracks,” students can pursue specialization beyond the required courses through focused activities in research, advanced coursework, and clinical practice.

The program conforms to a mentorship training model. Students are accepted into the graduate program in part based on the match between their interests and those of our clinical faculty. Since research is a cornerstone of a good clinical science program, students work closely on research with the faculty mentor who recruited them starting in their very first semester. They are further encouraged to be continuously involved in ongoing research throughout their tenure in our program, and it is common for some to pursue collaborations not only with their mentors, but also with other clinical and non-clinical faculty and with fellow graduate students as well.

Our commitment to clinical science leads us to integrate clinical practice and science at every opportunity. We administer our own Psychology Clinic and the Anxiety & Behavioral Health Clinic. These clinics provide state-of-the-science treatment to the community while simultaneously serving as clinical training and research venues for our graduate students and faculty. Our Psychology Clinic has been recognized by APA for Innovative Practices in Graduate Education in Psychology for its accomplishments in integrating training in service and science. Additional clinical training/research opportunities are available at practicum sites in the community. Finally, students complete a required one-year pre-doctoral internship at an APA accredited site. Our students have established a long history of success in competition for preferred internships across the country.

Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive psychology is the study of the mental processes involved in perception, thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and performance. Florida State's program in cognitive psychology features active research programs in attention, visual processing, cognitive aging, cognitive neuroscience, expert performance, memory, psycholinguistics, reading, and skill acquisition. The goal of our program is to train students to be rigorous scientists, preparing them for careers as researchers in academic settings, government, and private industry.

Graduate students will work closely with one or more faculty during their time at FSU. Students begin developing a research program right away, embarking on a “first year project” during their first semester on campus. Through formal coursework and informal mentorship, students are taught the skills needed to do cutting-edge research in cognitive science.

Our faculty members conduct research on many of the central themes of cognitive science:

How do we understand and navigate complex visual environments? The visual system plays an essential role in our ability to gather information from our environment. Research within the cognitive area uses a combination of psychophysical and eye-tracking measures to study how we make sense of the visual world, learn and categorize objects, and find the things for which we are looking.

How does the cognitive system change as we age? It is undeniable that our cognitive systems undergo change as we get older. Research within this area aims to understand these changes, and to develop novel ways of using technology to buffer individuals against the natural effects of aging.

How are various perceptual and cognitive processes instantiated in the brain? How does the brain change as we learn, and how is information represented by neural systems? Faculty in the cognitive area use a variety of techniques (EEG, MRI, TMS) to study brain function and structure, and how these relate to cognition.

How do we understand language? The comprehension of language is the keystone against which human experience is built. The cognitive area explores the comprehension process, from the processes involved in extracting information from the written page to the use of our perceptual and motor systems to internally simulate the content of the language. We also use behavioral experiments, eye-tracking, and electrophysiology to explore how language skills develop in children.

How do we learn to read? The development of literacy skills is critical to one's ability to succeed in academic and employment settings. Research within this area aims to understand why some children are more successful learning to read than others, and to understand how best to detect and remediate reading problems when they arise. This research is affiliated with the Florida Center for Reading Research.

How do we remember? The ability to remember, and to gauge how well we will remember something, is key to learning and succeeding in every aspect of our lives. Cognitive area faculty explore the factors that lead some things to be remembered better than others, and that lead people to be more accurate in their assessment of how well they will remember something later.

How do we think and solve problems? The study of thought processes is difficult with traditional methods of data collection, such as recording reaction times, eye-fixations, EEG, and fMRI. Research within the cognitive area examines how one can instruct participants to think aloud and then analyze their verbalizations to identify evidence for strategies, mental representations, and learning processes, which can later be validated by experimental manipulations and tests.

The Florida Center for Reading Research (https://fcrr.org/) provides exciting opportunities for basic and applied research in reading. See Developmental Psychology for additional information.

Developmental Psychology

Developmental psychology is the study of the processes by which humans develop and potentially lose competencies in domains ranging from sensation and perception to personality. Developmental psychology as a field of study is growing, as new methods of study have developed, and as the realization that just about any picture of human functioning is but a snapshot of an ongoing process of change. Developmental psychology is an integrative discipline that has implications for other areas of psychology including cognitive psychology, neuroscience, social psychology, and clinical psychology.

Students in developmental psychology receive in-depth training with opportunities for both basic and applied research. The goal of the program is to prepare students for future positions as professors in universities and colleges, researchers in government and private-sector laboratories, and as educators. The program is guided by the view that the best way to become a researcher is to carry out research, so continuous involvement in research projects is stressed. The curriculum has core course requirements but maximizes opportunities for specific seminars and individual research opportunities that fit a training program designed by the student and his or her major professor. Students also are encouraged to develop competencies that will broaden their job prospects beyond the university and research laboratory settings. Examples include program evaluation, test development, and data analysis.

The Developmental Program also has a strong relationship with The Florida Center for Reading Research (https://fcrr.org/), which supports both basic and applied research in reading, and has ongoing studies of reading instruction and assessment in pre-school and elementary aged children as well as adults. The mission of the Center is to contribute both to the basic science of reading and to conduct research and evaluation projects that have policy implications for public schools in Florida. Funds are available for graduate student stipends and post-doctoral fellowships. The director of the Center is Dr. Don Compton. Associate directors are Drs. Richard Wagner, Christopher Lonigan, and Chris Schatschneider.

Social Psychology

The social psychology program involves the scientific examination of how people think about, influence, and relate to each other. The program provides students with in-depth training in the areas of personality and social psychology, focusing on basic and applied social psychological research. The goal of the program is to prepare students for future positions as researchers and educators. Coursework provides students with an education in a broad range of areas including classic and contemporary issues in social psychology and methodological and statistical approaches to psychological research. In-depth seminars are offered in prejudice and stereotyping, the psychology of intimate relationships, and the self. Graduate students develop further expertise in a specific area or areas of social psychology through hands-on research in collaboration with one or more faculty members in the social program. Students also may have opportunities to collaborate with faculty in the other psychology programs whose interests and expertise are relevant to social psychology.

The broad areas of research interest and expertise of the Social Psychology program's faculty provide several possible directions for interested graduate students to pursue. These broad areas of research include:

Close Relationships: Research investigates factors that influence partner preferences as well as factors that promote or hinder the successful maintenance of long-term relationships; identifying cognitive, situational, behavioral, and individual difference variables that predict relationship formation, satisfaction, and long-term stability.

Evolutionary Psychology: Specific research includes examination of evolved social cognition in areas such as romantic attraction and long-term relationships, social affiliation and rejection, social hierarchy; hormonal processes involved in social behavior.

Prejudice and Stereotyping: Specific research includes the regulation of prejudice and the prejudice reduction process; the causes and consequences of negative affect and aggression in intergroup interactions; the implications of race for responses to criminal suspects.

Implicit Attitudes, Evaluation, and Threat Processing: Research explores how people uniquely perceive, process, and respond to objects in their environment; takes a dual-process approach to study evaluation in general, but also highlights the role of threat processing independent of conscious awareness; incorporates evolutionary, social cognitive, and neurophysiological views using implicit and psychophysiological measures to investigate the role of threat in contributing to and maintaining other phenomena such as prejudice, suicide, and certain phobias.

Motivation and Social Cognition: Specific research explores the factors that influence attitude development and change, judgment and decision-making, and risk-taking; links between emotion, motivation, and social cognition; psychophysiological processes underlying motivated cognitive processes.

Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience

Students in the doctoral Program in Neuroscience receive broad training in the study of the brain and nervous system function. Areas of emphasis include chemical senses, ingestive behavior, human neuroscience, animal models of cognition, molecular genetics, neurobiology of brain injury and disease, neuroendocrinology, social behavior, stress, and drug addiction. This interdisciplinary program provides a solid foundation with courses covering topics ranging from molecules to behavior. The Program places a heavy emphasis on laboratory research in a collegial and interactive atmosphere. Students may gain experience in the labs of Neuroscience faculty in Psychology, Biological Science, Mathematics, and the College of Medicine. Students work with faculty mentors in exceptionally well-equipped research facilities located in recently constructed buildings. An active colloquium series in neuroscience and special topic symposia/courses bring students into contact with world leaders in the field of neuroscience. In addition, students receive training in a variety of professional skills including public speaking, teaching, and grant writing. Neuroscience is a PhD program, but students may pursue a master's degree in one of the participating departments with the approval of the faculty supervisor and training committee. Detailed information about the Program in Neuroscience and research of the faculty may be found at https://neuro.fsu.edu.

College Requirements

Please review all college-wide degree requirements summarized in the “College of Arts and Sciences” chapter of this Graduate Bulletin.

Admissions

New students are accepted for enrollment only in the Fall semester of each year. Completed applications are due between December 1st and January 15th, depending on the program. Applicants should visit the department website (https://psy.fsu.edu) for deadlines.

Applicants must satisfy all admission requirements and policies set by the department and University. Admission to graduate study is based upon a combination of factors, including undergraduate and graduate grade point average, Graduate Record Examination scores, letters of recommendation from former professors, prior experience, and the applicant's personal statement. Students who have demonstrated an interest in research prior to applying to the doctoral programs will be given priority.

Departmental Degree Requirements

The general requirements of the department are kept to a minimum in order to encourage students to be educated in accordance with each program area's own interests and goals, as well as those of the students. The basic requirements are outlined below; these and other requirements are more completely described in the department's Graduate Student Handbook.

Doctoral Program

Incoming students are admitted into one of the five doctoral programs. First-year students work ten hours per week with a faculty member who is conducting research in an area of interest to the student. This collaborative work often evolves into a master's thesis. During the first two years, students complete one advanced statistics course. A basic statistics course is also required if the student has not previously taken an introductory statistics course. Most students are required to complete an empirical thesis and obtain an “in-flight” master's degree enroute to completing the doctoral degree. The student's supervisory committee and program area guidelines are used to determine whether a student must complete the master's degree.

Following completion of the master's degree (or bypassing this requirement), students begin their doctoral studies. Students with master's degrees from other institutions begin their doctoral studies after they have completed the advanced statistics course required within the first two years, and after their previous graduate work and empirical theses have been evaluated and approved by the faculty.

The following are required for the doctoral degree:

1. Two of the following core courses: DEP 5165; EXP 5406, 5508; PSB 5341 or PCB 5845; PSB 6048; SOP 5069; and PSY 6919 (Cross-Area Seminar).
2. Completion of the preliminary doctoral-examination requirements for the program area.
3. A dissertation research project.

Program Area Requirements

Program areas have minimum requirements beyond those established for the department; these must be completed prior to the doctoral degree and a time sequence is specified for some requirements. In addition, students work closely with their supervisory committees to develop an optimum combination of coursework, research experience, and applied training to meet their professional goals. Coursework requirements by program area are listed on the following departmental website: https://psy.fsu.edu/php/graduate/students/resources/resources.php. Program requirements are reviewed periodically by the faculty and may change.

Master's Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis (Panama City Campus)

The Department of Psychology offers a terminal Master of Science (MS) degree in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) at the Panama City campus. Graduates of this program are prepared for employment in the public and private sectors as behavior analysts. The program of studies prepares students to sit for the Board Certification exam (BCBA). In contrast to the Tallahassee campus programs described above in which students obtain their master's degree enroute to the doctorate, the degree offered at Panama City is a terminal master's and a thesis is not an option. A comprehensive exam is required toward the end of the program. Thirty-nine semester hours of psychology courses are required, including nine semester hours of practicum. A listing of required coursework can be found online at https://pc.fsu.edu/aba/.

For further information about admission and degree requirements for the master's program in Panama City, contact the: Graduate Office, Department of Psychology, 1107 W. Call Street, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4301; (850)-644-2499; grad-info@psy.fsu.edu, or visit the Website at https://pc.fsu.edu/aba.

Definition of Prefixes

CLP—Clinical Psychology

DEP—Developmental Psychology

EAB—Experimental Analysis of Behavior

EXP—Experimental Psychology

PCB—Process Biology (Cell/Molecular/Ecology/Genetics/Physiology)

PSB—Psychobiology

PSY—Psychology

SOP—Social Psychology

Graduate Courses

General

PSY 5605. History and Systems of Psychology (3). This course covers the philosophical and scientific antecedents of modern psychology and the history of psychology as an independent scientific discipline.

PSY 6945. Teaching Psychology Practicum (3). Prerequisite: Instructor permission. This course covers substantive issues applicable to the teaching of psychology in the university setting.

Applied Behavior Analysis

EAB 5700. Basic Principles of Behavior (3). Prerequisites: EAB 3703 and EXP 3422 (or equivalents) or instructor permission. This course focuses on the fundamentals of behavior analysis including selecting and defining target behaviors, determining measurement and recording methods, analyzing graphic displays of data, completing a functional analysis and the use of positive reinforcement methods of changing behavior.

EAB 5701. Basic Methods of Applied Behavioral Analysis (3). Prerequisites: EAB 3703 and EXP 3422 (or equivalents) or instructor permission. This course examines behavior analysis methods including stimulus control, shaping, chaining and imitation, along with extinction, differential reinforcement and punishment to decrease behavior. Time out and response are also discussed. Token economies, group contingencies, and behavioral generality are examined.

EAB 5708. Experimental Analysis of Behavior (3). Prerequisites: EAB 3703 and EXP 3422 or equivalents or instructor permission. This course examines basic behavioral processes that allow human and non-human animals to acquire new knowledge and adapt to environmental demands. Students become acquainted with current research findings in the field and learn how research with non-human animals has served as a foundation for the application of behavioral principles across a variety of clinical problems.

EAB 5710. Behavioral Analysis in Developmental Disabilities and Autism (3). Prerequisites: EAB 3703 and EXP 3422 (or equivalents) or instructor permission. This course prepares students to work with developmentally disabled and autistic individuals. Topics include issues in assessment and intervention, improving language capability, preparation for community placement, and the treatment of severe behavior disorders.

EAB 5711. Behavioral Analysis in Mental Health and Aging (3). Prerequisites: EAB 3703 and EXP 3422 (or equivalents) or instructor permission. This course covers two content areas: applications of behavior principles in mental health settings and applications with our aging population. Emphasis is placed on the use of behavioral techniques to teach new skills and maintain existing repertoires. Replacing existing aversive methods of control with positive reinforcement strategies is stressed.

EAB 5721. Behavioral Analysis in Education and Performance Management (3). Prerequisites: EAB 3703 and EXP 3422 (or equivalents) or instructor permission. This course covers two content areas: applications of behavior principles in education and in business and organizational settings. Methods of improving performance using behavioral goals and objectives, performance feedback and reinforcing consequences are stressed.

EAB 5722. Behavior Analysis in Education (3). Prerequisites: EAB 3703 and EXP 3422 or equivalents or instructor permission. This course prepares students to apply research-based behavioral principles in a variety of educational settings.

EAB 5740. Behavior Analysis in Performance Management and Supervision (3). Prerequisites: EAB 3703 and EXP 3422 or equivalents or instructor permission. This course stresses the application of behavioral principles within business, industry, mental health, and Applied Behavior Analysis service-delivery settings. The class provides an overview of contemporary research and practice in the field of Performance Management as well as topics related to research-based strategies for supervising employees in a variety of settings.

EAB 5780. Ethical and Professional Issues in Applied Behavior Analysis (3). Prerequisites: EAB 3703 and EXP 3422 (or equivalents) or instructor permission. This course prepares students for the professional practice of applied behavior analysis. Ethical guidelines are examined, professional issues in consulting with families are discussed, and the role of the behavior analyst as an ethical business and organizational consultant is covered.

EAB 5796. Research Methods in Applied Behavior Analysis (3). Prerequisites: EAB 3703 and EXP 3422 (or equivalents) or instructor permission. This course details practical methods for designing and executing successful behavior analysis research. Reviews current methodology and critiques studies in the literature.

EAB 5940. Applied Behavioral Analysis Practicum (3). (S/U grade only). Prerequisites: EAB 5700, 5701, 5780. This course is a twenty hour per-week supervised practicum in the application of applied behavior analysis.

EAB 5941. Applied Behavioral Analysis Practicum (3). (S/U grade only). Prerequisites: EAB 5700, 5701, 5780. This course is a twenty hour per-week supervised practicum in the application of applied behavior analysis.

EAB 5942. Applied Behavioral Analysis Practicum (3). (S/U grade only). Prerequisites: EAB 5700, 5701, 5780. This course is a twenty hour per-week supervised practicum in the application of applied behavior analysis.

EAB 6130r. Seminar on Skinner's Theory of Behaviorism (3). Prerequisites: EAB 3703 and EXP 3422 (or equivalents) or instructor permission. This course reviews Skinner's theory of behaviorism in depth and addresses its implications for the science of human behavior and contemporary applications in society. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours.

Clinical

CLP 5189. Diversity in Individuals and Cultures: Issues for Clinical Psychology (3). Prerequisite: Instructor permission is required for non-clinical psychology students. This course provides a broad examination and investigation of cultural, racial, ethnic, or other individual differences that impact human behavior and the practice of psychology.

CLP 5196. Techniques of Behavioral Change (3). Prerequisites: CLP 6169 and instructor permission. This course examines therapeutic strategies and promising techniques for behavioral change of specific referral problems in clinical practice.

CLP 5375. Research Design and Methods in Clinical Psychology (3). Prerequisite: Instructor permission. This course explores methods, designs, evaluation of treatment outcome and program evaluation research. Ethical and practical considerations of clinical research.

CLP 5436. Personality & Diagnostic Assessment (3). Pre/corequisite: CLP 6169. This course trains graduate students in the clinical psychology doctoral program to complete diagnostic and personality assessments. The first portion of the course focuses on diagnostic interviewing. The second portion focuses on objective personality assessment.

CLP 5475. Child Development and Psychopathology (3). Prerequisite: Instructor permission. This course focuses on the assessment and diagnosis, etiology, and treatment of a number of psychological disorders of childhood in the context of human development.

CLP 5624. Ethics and Standards of Professional Practice (3). (S/U grade only). Prerequisites: CLP 6169; instructor permission. This course is taught to all first-year clinical students during their first summer in residence. It focuses on instruction and practice in interviewing, report writing, and outcome evaluation skills as they apply to clinical work. Also, it serves as the introduction to training in ethical principles in the practice of psychology.

CLP 5941r. Psychology Clinic Practicum (1–3). (S/U grade only). Prerequisites: PSY 5325, CLP 5196 and 6169. This course is a ten hour per week practicum in intake, assessment, and therapy including direct client contact, supervision, and staffing. in the on-campus Psychology Clinic. May be repeated to a maximum of twenty-seven semester hours.

CLP 5942r. Psychology Clinic Advanced Practicum (1–3). (S/U grade only). Prerequisites: PSY 5325, CLP 5196 and 6169. This course is a fifteen hour per week practicum in intake, assessment, and therapy including direct contact with clients who have severe psychopathology, supervision, and staffing in the on-campus Psychology Clinic. May be repeated to a maximum of twenty-four semester hours. A maximum of six credits may be taken in the same semester.

CLP 6169. Adult Development and Psychopathology (3). Prerequisite: Clinical psychology majors only. This course offers theoretical and empirical perspectives on the biological and psychosocial aspects of psychopathology. Includes issues of definition classification, diagnosis, etiology, as well as treatment implications in the context of human development.

CLP 6920r. Current Issues in Clinical Psychology (1). (S/U grade only). Prerequisite: Clinical psychology majors only. This course consists of weekly lectures on research and professional topics in the field of clinical psychology. May be repeated to a maximum of ten semester hours.

CLP 6945r. Techniques of Clinical Supervision (1–3). (S/U grade only). Prerequisite: CLP 5941 (must have completed six semesters). The purpose of this course is to provide clinical psychology graduate students with a variety of supervised experiences that will enhance their developing skills and competencies with respect to supervising trainee's clinical work. This course and practicum were designed in accordance with the Consensus Statement on Competencies in Clinical Supervision (Falender et al., 2004). It includes coursework, readings, and didactics in supervision knowledge and skills, as well as “supervision of supervision” that includes live observation and review of written feedback from peer supervisor to trainee, with critical feedback.

PSY 5325. Cognitive Assessment (3). Prerequisites: CLP 6169 and instructor permission. This course and associated lab provide instruction and practice in developing foundational competencies in the administration, scoring, and interpretation of individual cognitive, intellectual, and academic tests.

PSY 6940r. External Placement Practicum (1–6). (S/U grade only). Prerequisite: PSY 5325, CLP 5196 and 6169. This course provides supervised experience in psychological assessment, therapy, and/or consultation in a community setting. May be repeated to a maximum of twenty-four semester hours.

PSY 6948r. Psychology Internship (1–9). (S/U grade only). Prerequisite: Clinical psychology majors only. This course is an off-campus internship for one year, two thousand hours. May be repeated to a maximum of twenty-seven semester hours.

Human Learning and Cognition

EXP 5508. Introduction to Cognitive Studies (3). This course surveys contemporary issues related to how people perceive, attend to, learn, think about, and solve problems. It covers a wide range of important topics in cognitive psychology, focusing on both classic texts and current directions in the field of cognitive science.

EXP 6609r. Seminar in Higher Mental Processes (3). This course focuses on current scientific knowledge in areas of human intellectual functioning: perception, attention, memory, language, and reasoning. May be repeated to a maximum of eighteen semester hours.

EXP 6920r. Issues in Cognitive Science (1). (S/U grade only). Pre- or corequisites: EXP 5508; Cognitive psychology majors only. This course aims to familiarize graduate students with current issues in cognitive science and to prepare students to be able to present ongoing research at the level expected for presentations at national and international conferences. May be repeated to a maximum of ten semester hours.

Life-Span Development

DEP 5165. Developmental Psychology (3). Prerequisite: Instructor permission. This course covers the development of children's cognitive and social behavior from infancy to the beginning of adolescence.

DEP 6117r. Issues in Developmental Psychology (1). (S/U grade only.) This course provides professional development opportunities to graduate students interested in developmental psychology.

Psychobiology/Neuroscience

EXP 5406. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (3). This course is a survey of contemporary issues in animal learning, including the neurobiological underpinnings of learning and memory. Concentrates on methods, data, and theory in areas of classical conditioning and instrumental training.

EXP 5717. Animal Psychophysics (3). This course studies sensory processes in animals using rigorous behavioral techniques.

PCB 5845. Cell and Molecular Neuroscience (4). This course introduces students to basic principles of neurophysiology, including intracellular signaling, membrane potentials, synaptic communication, sensory and motor systems, and neural development and plasticity.

PSB 5057. Neuroscience Methods: Molecules to Behavior (2). This course exposes graduate students to a broad array of current techniques and methodologies in the neurosciences from a molecular to behavioral level of analysis.

PSB 5077. Responsible Conduct of Research (2). (S/U grade only). This course is an introduction to survival skills and ethics in scientific research. The focus is on basic principles of scientific conduct and practice for graduate students pursuing careers in biomedical research.

PSB 5230C. Vertebrate Neuroanatomy (4). Prerequisites: PCB 5845 or instructor permission. Corerequisites: PSB 5341 or instructor permission. This course gives beginning graduate students a foundation in neuroanatomy, which aids in understanding and conducting neuroscience research. Focus is on (1) the 3-D anatomy of the brain and spinal cord in sheep, humans, and rodents, (2) the location of selected subregions, and (3) the fine structure (neuronal morphology and connections) of selected brain regions. Also included to a limited extent is neuroanatomy of other species (e.g. birds), neurotransmitter systems, principles of stereotaxic surgery, and evidence of function from experimental and clinical neuroanatomy. A sheep brain lab accompanies the course.

PSB 5341. Systems and Behavioral Neuroscience (3). This course covers integrated neural systems that ultimately lead to the behavior of organisms. Topics include fluid and energy balance, reproduction, sleep, emotions, cognition and neurological disorders.

PSB 6048. Affective Neuroscience (3). This course covers fundamental concepts regarding the neuroscience of emotion and emotion-cognition interactions. The course also provides an introduction to the current knowledge of the neural mechanisms underlying human thinking and behavior, and the primary methodology used in this field.

PSB 6059r. Seminar in Physiological Psychology (3). This course consists of topical seminars in physiological psychology, varying as to offering faculty. May be repeated to a maximum of nine semester hours.

PSB 6070r. Current Problems in Neuroscience (2). (S/U grade only). This course is a detailed examination of a current area of neuroscience research. May be repeated to a maximum of eight semester hours.

PSB 6920r. Neuroscience Colloquium (1). (S/U grade only). This course consists of lectures and discussions on research in neuroscience. May be repeated to maximum of ten semester hours.

PSB 6933r. Seminar in Neuroscience (1–2). (S/U grade only). This course provides a research oriented seminar for graduate students in neuroscience. Content includes a wide variety of current topics in nervous system research. May be repeated to a maximum of twenty-four semester hours.

Social-Personality

SOP 5069. Personality and Social Psychology (3). This course is a survey of the content areas in social and personality psychology. The primary goals of the course are to acquaint students with the major topics, issues, and methods used in these fields and the importance of considering the joint influence of the person and situation on behavior.

SOP 6920r. Current Issues in Social Psychology (1). (S/U grade only). Prerequisite: Social psychology majors only. This course consists of weekly lectures and discussions on research in the study of social psychology. Students present original research. May be repeated to a maximum of ten semester hours.

SOP 6939r. Seminar in Social Psychology (3). This course consists of topical seminars in social psychology that vary according to offering faculty. May be repeated to a maximum of eighteen semester hours.

Multiple Area Courses

PSY 5900r. Individual Research Study (3–9). Prerequisite: Instructor permission. This course consists of supervised individual research study on a selected topic by a directing professor. Participation includes active participation in research and a written product, the nature of which is to be detailed in a written contract between professor and student. May be repeated to a maximum of thirty-six semester hours.

PSY 5908r. Directed Individual Study (1–12). (S/U grade only). This course consists of a supervised individual study project on a selected topic. May be repeated to a maximum of fifty semester hours.

PSY 5916r. Selected Research Topics (3). This course covers a specialized research area presented by a faculty member in his/her major research area. Students may register for a maximum of three sections within the same semester. May be repeated to a maximum of thirty-six semester hours.

PSY 5917r. Supervised Research (1–5). (S/U grade only). This course consists of a ten hour per week research apprenticeship under the direction of a research professor. No more than three semester hours may be counted toward the master's degree and five semester hours toward the doctoral degree.

PSY 5947r. Supervised Teaching (1–5). (S/U grade only). This course consists of a teaching apprenticeship under the direction of a faculty member, involves observed teaching and teacher observation. No more than three semester hours may be counted toward the master's degree and five semester hours toward the doctoral degree.

PSY 5973r. Thesis (1–6). (S/U grade only). This course consists of supervised research on an original research project submitted in partial fulfillment of master's degree requirements. A minimum of six semester hours of credit is required for the master's degree.

PSY 6656r. Preliminary Examination Preparation (1–9). (S/U grade only). This course serves as preparation for a theoretical paper, including complete literature review, critique, and future projection, or a written preliminary examination, including fundamental substantive areas and methodological and theoretical issues. A minimum of three semester hours is required. May be repeated to a maximum of thirty-six semester hours.

PSY 6919r. Seminar in Current Research Topics (1–3). This course consists of topical seminars in psychology that vary according to offering faculty. Students may register for a maximum of three sections within the same semester. May be repeated to a maximum of thirty-six semester hours.

PSY 6980r. Dissertation (1–12). (S/U grade only). This course consists of supervised research on an original research project submitted in partial fulfillment of doctoral degree requirements. A minimum of twenty-four semester hours of credit is required for the doctoral degree.

PSY 8964r. Preliminary Doctoral Examination (0). (P/F grade only.)

PSY 8966r. Master's Comprehensive Examination (0). (P/F grade only.)

PSY 8976r. Master's Thesis Defense (0). (P/F grade only.)

PSY 8985r. Dissertation Defense (0). (P/F grade only.)